In recent years, a memory card loaded with a nonvolatile memory like a flash memory has been expanding a market thereof as a recording medium used in a digital camera and a portable telephone. With expansion of the market of the memory card, participation of newcomer manufacturers into a market of NAND flash memory for the memory card which has been occupied by a small number of manufacturers has increased and consequently, specifications of the NAND flash memories have been diversified on detailed levels. Further, new type nonvolatile memory which is different from the NAND flash memory has been proposed. It is expected that further diversified types of the specifications of the nonvolatile memories are coexisting in a future.
A controller which controls the nonvolatile memory in the memory card and provides a generalized interface with a host unit also needs to be diversified to cope with the various specifications of the nonvolatile memories.
Patent Document 1 proposes storage of programs for a micro computer in the flash memory in order to intensify availability of a flash card by reducing a development period thereof. Consequently, correction of faults on a development stage can be carried out easily.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2000-82122